The present invention relates to dispensing devices and more particularly pertains to a scented element attachable to a surface to eliminate objectionable odors. Specifically, the invention relates to a scented element attachable to an inner surface of a spool before or after a roll of paper has been attached to the spool""s outer surface.
Air fresheners are a widely used commodity wherever odors are present and there is a conscious need to xe2x80x9cfreshenxe2x80x9d the surrounding air. Typical applications for the air freshener are in a kitchen, restroom or automobile where there is a propensity for odors to accumulate and linger. It is often not practical, as in the winter months, to open a window or operate an air conditioner to clear the air. The common practice, therefore, is to mask or modify the prevailing atmosphere by some sort of air freshener device or aroma generator. The term xe2x80x9caromaxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cfragrancexe2x80x9d is not limited to pleasant or savory smells but encompasses scents that function as insecticides, air fresheners, deodorants or any other odor that acts to condition, modify or otherwise charge the atmosphere. Thus, the effect of the air freshener is to emit a selected fragrance scent that serves to dispel or neutralize the offensive effects of the odors, which are otherwise present to at least enhance the apparent quality of air thereabout.
The aroma of perfumes and perfume-based products such as colognes and toilet waters was originally derived from the essential oil of plants. However, since the early 19th century, chemists have succeeded in analyzing many essential oils and in creating thousands of synthetics, some simulating natural products and others yielding altogether new scents. Perfumes today are largely blends of natural and synthetic scents and of fixatives which equalize vaporization and enhance pungency. In most liquid scents, the ingredients are combined with a highly volatile alcohol carrier.
Over the years many devices have been on the market. Some of these devices try to exhaust the odors out of the room after they have escaped from the toilet bowl and others try to cover up the objectionable odors with strong perfumed scents.
Typically, the air freshener composition is in a liquid, powder or gel form from which the scent dispensed by various means such as an exposed air wick, gravity air circulation through an open canister, a manually actuated aerosol, etc., as are well known in the art. The disadvantage of aroma generators in which the fragrance is stored in a porous member is that the fragrance is slow to volatilize. Numerous attempts undertaken to overcome the disadvantage of aroma generators are well illustrated in the following patents.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,170,938 to Dewing discloses a paper roll holder with a scented material carried by a support disk member. The disk member periodically needs to be replaced which may be difficult for an inexperienced user; also, a cost of the paper roll holder provided with the disk member may be unjustifiably high.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,294,218 to Armand discloses a paper holder including a cylinder which is made of resilient material allowing a scent to escape from the cylinder through its opposite perforated ends upon applying an external force. A user may be required to apply a significant force to the cylinder that sometimes is difficult to achieve for elderly people or children. Further, a cost of the paper holder made of resilient material and having perforated ends may be prohibitively high.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,293,785 to Wintz discloses a paper roll assembly having a hollow cylinder of deodorizing material, which is cast or molded to an inner surface of a cardboard tube carrying a roll of paper upon its outer surface. One of the disadvantages this structure may have is the impossibility of replacing the deodorizing cylinder when it stops being effective but before the roll of paper is used up. Still another disadvantage may be a prohibitive cost of production of a multilayer structure, as disclosed in this patent.
All of the above disclosed structures of the scented paper roll assembly continually give off a scent before the paper roll is installed in a bathroom, thus decreasing efficiency of its performance.
It is, therefore, desirable to provide a scented article that can be manufactured separately from a paper roll and easily mounted on a surface of a support core carrying the paper roll at the time the paper roll is installed for its direct use. A scented article having a simple structure allowing a user to easily replace it after the current scented article lost its efficiency is also desirable, as is a scented article that can invariably fit different inner diameters of paper rolls.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages, the present invention provides a new scented article that does not allow the fragrance to bleed off into a paper product or air by virtue of a hermetically sealed membrane exposing the fragrance upon its detachment at the time the product is used.
According to one aspect of the invention, a scented article sticker is comprised of a flat layer of substrate carrying a layer of fragrance disposed on one side of the substrate, which also carries a layer of adhesive on its opposite side. A scented impermeable membrane attached to both the fragrance and the adhesive is easily peeled away allowing, thus, the substrate to be glued to an inner surface of a core of the paper product. Unwinding of the paper product causes the fragrance particle grains to be broken necessitating the scent to be re-released.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, an odor impermeable membrane covers only a fragrance layer disposed on one side of a substrate, whereas its opposite side is impregnated with an adhesive medium becoming effective upon applying external causes, such as moisturizing, heating or pressing. Thus, the membrane can be removed after the substrate has been adhered to the inner surface of the core of a paper product.
Still a further aspect of the invention relates to a tubular substrate made of resilient material and covered on its inner side with the fragrance that, in turn, is protected by a detachable scent-impermeable membrane. Because of the resilience of the substrate, its outer diameter may be slightly larger than an inner diameter of the core in a rest position, wherein no external forces act thereupon. However, once acted upon, a scented article can be introduced into the core, and after the force has been seized it expands pressing upon the core. The substrate can be selected from a group consisting of polymeric materials, steel etc. If the substrate is made of metal, then, in accordance with a sub-aspect of the invention, the tubular scented articles provided with an axial recess allowing the user to squeeze it in order to reduce the scent""s diameter.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a scented assembly having a fragrance layer that does not bleed off before it is attached to a paper roll.
Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a flat scented assembly comprised of a flat substrate sandwiched between an adhesive and fragrance layer and wrapped in an easily detachable scent impermeable membrane.
Another object of the invention is to provide a scented assembly having a substrate sandwiched between an adhesive and fragrance layer, wherein only the fragrance layer is detachably attached to a peel away membrane.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a tubular scented assembly having a three layer concentric structure preventing a fragrance layer from bleeding off before an outer adhesive layer is attached to a paper product.
Yet a further object is to provide a tubular scented assembly made of resilient material to fit differently dimensioned tubes, cores and paper products.